By the way how will terracotta withstand thermal shock from placing a pizza on top of it you?By now i have tried many variations to see what works and a ceramic baking plate defenitely cracked when i did put a pizza on top of it.I did read somewhere I Think it was Tom that mentioned that biscotti probably not have built in something to prevent cracks in them and then i thought to myself will the risk of cracks be smaller if the for example teracotta tiles would be smaller than bigger?Have you tried the terracotta variation yet Pete?

thought to myself will the risk of cracks be smaller if the for example teracotta tiles would be smaller than bigger?Have you tried the terracotta variation yet Pete?

Not yet. I have a bunch of tiles left over from my indoor tiling and they are 310mm x 150mm. I'm doing the patio in in 250mm x 200mm tiles and I thought they'd be better, but they haven't been delivered yet.

Depending on how long it takes for delivery, i might do a trial with the rectangular ones.

If the tiles crack, then at least it was a low cost trial and I'll take them out again..

Probably trial and error is the best method. The temperature the tiles are fired to and the composition of the clay body are the two most important factors and the seller of the tiles is unlikely to be able to give you this information.

"Fireproof bodies is a popular and indefinite term which simply means those which have a relatively good resistance to thermal shock. It covers two distinct kinds: (a) ordinary ovenware of various kinds ranging from soft-fired porous earthenware to the well known types of ovenproof stoneware, and (b) flameproof cooking ware able,like metals,to stand direct contact with the flame. In this latter class may be placed the soft-fired unglazed cooking pots of West Africa, made from bodies of an extremely coarse and open texture;and in the same class but at the opposite end of the scale, flameproof porcelains fired between 1400 C and 1500 C. Between these two extremes, it seems rather doubtful whether a satisfactory flameproof ware can be made in the stoneware range, 1200 to 1280 C."Michael Cardew, Pioneer PotteryIn the case of the African pots they are fired in a range of 600 - 670 C.It is highly unlikely that you can get commercial clay pavers fired at temperatures as low as this.

By trial and eror i have come up with one terracotta that does not crack in the oven. Its hand made version which i have cut in 10mm piece. I have had lods of work lately put i need couple of more tests before i can fill half oven with firebrick 10mm and half terracotta.Ill use firebrick where i will have the fire going.Trial and error is only way to go..

Yes i will post all of my experiments as soon as i can. Pictures as well. Just my uninteresting job that gets in the way.I actually bought an house for my oven the other day. Only place i can tell why i bought the house is at this forum haha. Before i lived in an apartment house but now i have a crappy piece of land with a crappy house on it. Well in one year the house will be nice and the oven will be in it...

ok here is the final test and now i know what to use.Its some kind of hand made terra cotta from spain.

Pizzas are cocked in 900 F floor for appr 50-60 sek each.dough is 62 % water Caputo flour. The dough i made fast and it was not a priority here.Pizzas were cocked in 2 min intervals.

I will have have half floor in terra cotta and half with layer of firebricks.I will have to be somewhat careful when firing the oven but not much. I will arrange a Place Close to door with firebrick so i can supercharge bottom if its not perfectly done for some reason.

Will floor crack: Yes to some extentDoes floor temp drop fast: Just a tiny bit faster than original floorWill i be happy with the floor: Yes probably. I cant Think of a better floor right now.

Have not posted in a while due to my job.But here is how the floor looks now. 8mm terracotta tiles where pizza is put and 8mm extra layer of firebrick where fire is put.Works really well even though some tiles have cracked but it does not matter at all. In the front one tile is crashed because of me dropping Wood there but i have spare ones to change if nessesary.The floor gets heated up real Quick so i can only agree with Craig that most of floor heat is coming from the flames.I guess its time to bake pizza now after 2 years!!!

I will post some videos of the oven in action soon.

Biggest hug to everybody who has helped me out on this venture.... It would defenitely not have been possible without this help that is for sure.

My biggest mistake was to Place the Soldiers on top of the floor. That makes it impossible to change the floor. It is totally possible to order a real biscotti floor from Italy just find the manufacturer and order. That was at least what they told me in emails.

After a question i will post here that the oven entrance is:Corten steel but you can use whatever steel i guess.The measurments are 8 or 10mm thickness.The actual entrence is 160mm Deep. If i were to make a new i would make it 100mm to make it even more easy get into the oven.I made the curve of the flatsteel 80x8mm with a machine that my firend has. You need to go to a steel mechanical workplace.I welded these two 80mm togeather to get my 160mm Deep.Alternative number 2 is to leave drawing at some workplace and get it done. Costful, yes probably.